New Vol'jin info as well as troll models

[Throren]

Also found this on Scrolls of Lore, thanks to Medievaldragon.

World of Warcraft: Vol'jin, Shadows of the Horde by Michael Stackpole will have Vol'jin and Chen Stormstout on a mission throughout Pandaria. I have a feeling there's going to be some Zandalari.

Blizzard is updating Vol'jin NPC and the Zandalari trolls in Pandaria with brand-new models in Patch 5.1.

Expect to see more of Vol'jin in Patch 5.2 as well.

Looks like we are to see a lot more of Zol'jin, plus he is getting an upgraded model same with all the Zandalari trolls so I take this as one, a;biet small, step closer to updated player models!

[Arrashi]

Brand new troll model's ? Could it be that they gonna update playable darkspears as well ?

[Cakka]

Thats awesome I love trolls but on the horde side at least they need updated models the most.

[Thulvaso]

It was to be expected. Thrall got his unique model in 4.2 (changed from the original Shattering patch) because he was a main focus. This is also expected to be the template for the player model. Vol'Jin gets a model update in 5.1 because he is a main focus. Whatever Vol'Jin gets, expect that on Troll player models.

[Imnick]

These aren't going to be the updated Troll player models and the work applied to Troll NPCs probably can't be applied backwards to players, they are going to be two separate projects.
The most they might reuse is the animation skeleton but even that seems fairly unlikely as players need far more animations than NPCs.

[leaks]

I just hope they use the voice actor of the Zandalari prisoner in the revelations quest for more trolls in the future. Woe to da pandaren usurpers!

[Thage]

These aren't going to be the updated Troll player models and the work applied to Troll NPCs probably can't be applied backwards to players, they are going to be two separate projects.
The most they might reuse is the animation skeleton but even that seems fairly unlikely as players need far more animations than NPCs.

Not unreasonable to think they'll just build the player skeleton ahead of time and use it in the new NPC models to save time later.

[Imnick]

Not unreasonable to think they'll just build the player skeleton ahead of time and use it in the new NPC models to save time later.

It is fairly unreasonable though.
The reason they reuse skeletons so often is because they're a huge pain in the ass to make and take a lot of time, and that's even for something like a mount that doesn't even have that many animations to deal with.
Factor in the number of animations players have now (including the new monk ones!) and all the armour connection points that would need to be set up... and you have a problem.

They have gone on record saying that they are working on Orcs and Humans right now, that doesn't leave them with any room to make new Troll animation skeletons.

[Deleted]

Brand new troll model's ? Could it be that they gonna update playable darkspears as well ?

And why not update Mekkatorque and the gnome models aswell?

Ah well...maybe next patch...

[Soulwind]

It is fairly unreasonable though.
The reason they reuse skeletons so often is because they're a huge pain in the ass to make and take a lot of time, and that's even for something like a mount that doesn't even have that many animations to deal with.
Factor in the number of animations players have now (including the new monk ones!) and all the armour connection points that would need to be set up... and you have a problem.

They have gone on record saying that they are working on Orcs and Humans right now, that doesn't leave them with any room to make new Troll animation skeletons.

I don't even expect this new Zandalari trolls to have a different skeleton. But, like the yaungol, they could show us which direction will the texture and models go for the playable trolls. In the end, even if the animations are new, they are going to look like trolls.

[sophos1]

Can I ask you all something? Why are you so obsessed with trolls? We have had trolls every other quest hub, every other instance, every other raid instance, and in every other zone. There are two things in this game: Trolls, and everything else.

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

[Verdugo]

Can I ask you all something? Why are you so obsessed with trolls? We have had trolls every other quest hub, every other instance, every other raid instance, and in every other zone. There are two things in this game: Trolls, and everything else.

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

Because people think stoners are cool or something.

[Zaelsino]

Can I ask you all something? Why are you so obsessed with trolls? We have had trolls every other quest hub, every other instance, every other raid instance, and in every other zone. There are two things in this game: Trolls, and everything else.

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

Trolls in WoW, for their small numbers (and are they really that small? The Amani alone gave the pre-Third War high elves massive trouble...), have always been a force to be reckoned with. They just tend to be batshit evil and/or wage wars they can't feasibly win, cementing their place as inglorious quest fodder.

Vol'jin and the Darkspear are a breath of fresh air in that sense.

[Imnick]

I don't even expect this new Zandalari trolls to have a different skeleton. But, like the yaungol, they could show us which direction will the texture and models go for the playable trolls. In the end, even if the animations are new, they are going to look like trolls.

This seems much more likely.
It isn't going to make the player troll models come any faster though, at most it will be a glimpse at their art direction (if they don't just make them more high definition versions of what already exists, which I think is the most likely).

[Arrashi]

And why not update Mekkatorque and the gnome models aswell?

Ah well...maybe next patch...

Who the hell is mekkatorque and gnomes ? Before you get new shiny model get some lore and stop being alliance first source of shame.
Jokes aside i would not be suprised if they tied new model releases with patch stories of different races.

[Deleted]

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

Trolls are one of the oldest races on azeroth, The Amani and the Gurubashi Empires covered pretty much all of Kalimdor before the Sundering

[Urti]

Can I ask you all something? Why are you so obsessed with trolls? We have had trolls every other quest hub, every other instance, every other raid instance, and in every other zone. There are two things in this game: Trolls, and everything else.

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

Becaas even Blizz know dat everyting be betta wid a liddle voodoo mon.

[Nearmyth]

Can I ask you all something? Why are you so obsessed with trolls? We have had trolls every other quest hub, every other instance, every other raid instance, and in every other zone. There are two things in this game: Trolls, and everything else.

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

Trolls are one of the first curse of flesh races to ever walk upon Azeroth. They've been there since almost the beginning.

[Matchu]

Trolls are one of the first curse of flesh races to ever walk upon Azeroth. They've been there since almost the beginning.

I don't recall there being anything on trolls being from curse of flesh. Dwarves, gnomes, humans...all affected originally. But trolls may be a natural evolution.

[Hyve]

Can I ask you all something? Why are you so obsessed with trolls? We have had trolls every other quest hub, every other instance, every other raid instance, and in every other zone. There are two things in this game: Trolls, and everything else.

Jamaica is a small island country. Why are there jamaicans EVERYWHERE in world of warcraft?

Trolls are not present in every aspect of the game. They where introduced heavily again in Cataclysm as a build up to Mists of Pandaria. Anyone who didn't see the Zul'Aman & Zul'Gurub rehash as a build up was really missing the point here.